For You
by LuvStarWars
Summary: Everyone must grow up, but when Beast Boy finally begins to mature, Raven discovers that she just wasn't ready for it.  A new villain, a terrible sacrifice, and a broken heart... BBXRae hint of RobXStar. Rated for some tradgedy.  No language or sensuals
1. Chapter 1

Finally I've been able to post this! Beast Boy and Raven are my favorite couple, with Robin and Starfire following on their heels. The idea of a class clown and a goth chick getting together makes for a great story, and BB and Raven, I think, make one of the most interesting stories out there. So I think I'll make it even more interesting by sending them into my own twisted little universe and seeing how they'll fare. Yes, that's right, I don't own Teen Titans. If I did, well… I wouldn't have cancelled it.

And just for fun, I think I'll add a little summary. Here goes:

Everyone must grow up, but when Beast Boy finally begins to mature, Raven discovers that she just wasn't ready for it. How can she deal with this new Beast Boy? And how will the Titans fare when they meet Hotwire, a mysterious cyber combatant who sends them into her own twisted reality, a world she hopes to bring to life through her five desperate prisoners. Faced with all their darkest enemies, who will fall, and who will be left? BBXRae; hint of RobXStar

Okay, now that you're (hopefully) psyched, the story shall begin…

For You…

Chapter 1

An Oath of Bitter Maturity

Like a beacon to the citizens of Jump City, the T-shaped structure known as Titans Tower stood against the stars of a Friday night. It's residents, however, if viewed by the citizens of the said city on that particular night at that particular hour, would have hardly been described as a 'beacon' of any sort…

"I'm telling you," Beast Boy yelled at Cyborg, "Super Ninja Pirates 4.5 is WAY cooler than Super Ninja Pirates 4.4! The main character as totally modeled after me!"

Their team members, sitting on a semi-circle sofa, ignored the two. Robin was easily busied with teaching Starfire how to play 'Rock, Paper, Scissors' (they hoped to choose the movie without the two arguers noticing). Only Raven seemed interested in this last statement. She peeled her midnight eyes out of her book and raised a dark eyebrow at the scrawny green boy.

"You're serious?" she questioned dryly. "It's just a movie."

Beast Boy looked at her, a triumphant smile lighting up his face as he flexed his invisible muscles. "Sure! He's big, bad, and - !"

"Bowled over in every scene? Yeah, I can see the resemblance."

Cyborg took up the argument with newfound sarcasm. "But maybe he should have screamed a bit more. Then we could be sure they based him on you."

Beast Boy turned red as a flank steak, then pointed a gloved finger at Cyborg. "You're just jealous 'cuz I'm the hero in it!"

Raven jumped in again, her voice as cool as ever, though drowned in sarcasm. "Like I said, it's a movie. No basis in reality whatsoever."

"C'mon, Raven!" Beast Boy whined, growing desperate. "You tease me all the time. Can't you knock off the sarcasm just this once, please?"

Raven gave him a long, uninterested stare. "No," she finally answered flatly, earning a smoldering glare from her green teammate.

"You never take me seriously, do you, Raven?" he pouted heatedly.

"You have yourself to blame for that," Raven agreed, planting her dark eyes in her book once more.

Beast Boy's eyebrows met in a serious frown. "You don't think I can do anything. But you're wrong. I'm sick of you treating me like a little kid! I can be just as mature as you can."

Interested, Raven looked up. Was he actually being serious? Him, Beast Boy, the clown of the Titans? Had he finally made a statement that was remotely profound? She didn't believe it for one second. He would crack. He would smile, and say it was all a joke, that he just wanted to freak her out. But no. His green eyes smoldered intensely, filled with all sorts of emotions. Anger, hurt, embarrassment; how could he have gotten so upset all of a sudden? She had been treating him the same since the Titans first began. Again, she thought that it was an act. Beast boy always had wanted to go into show business. Maybe he had finally started to take it seriously.

She stood up, laying her book stiffly on the sofa, and strode silently over to Beast Boy, toe to toe, leaning in until their noses almost touched. If it was a trick, she would scare it out of him.

"Prove me wrong," she challenged quietly. By now, Robin and Starfire sat still, watching, while Cyborg just stood off to the side, all jokes forgotten.

Shape shifter and sorceress glared into each other's eyes, into each other's souls, for a long moment. Then another… then another. Not a muscle twitched, not a hair stirred. Though she was surprised by Beast Boy's intense swirling emotions, Raven easily hid it. It also amazed her how the green kid didn't even flinch under her icy stare. They stood in complete silence for a few seconds that felt like eternity to their worried companions. Finally Beast Boy spoke, his voice choked with determination.

"I will," he vowed. "You'll see, and you won't ever get to tease me again. I'm a better Titan than you give me credit for." His oath complete, he brushed past her and stalked to the door. Raven didn't move until the door had hissed shut. Only after she felt his presence move down the hall and the door of his room slam closed did she finally move. She snatched up her book and glided soundlessly to her room.


	2. Chapter 2

Thanks to all you patient readers. I am deeply sorry for the delay on this chapter, but the schedule has been pretty tight and I haven't found much time to write. Thank you so much to all who reviewed on this fic! Please remember, constructive criticism is welcome. I have to admit I'm just as excited about this story as I hope all of you are. Now please silence your cell phones, and we hope you enjoy tonight's newest chapter with an incredibly long title that I just couldn't resist…

Chapter 2

The Revelations of the Shape Shifter and the Sorceress

Raven ignored Starfire's concerned gaze as the Titans walked down the sidewalk. She knew that her appearance was ragged, unlike her normally neat and straight style. Her sleeplessness the night before was the reason for that. For some reason, she couldn't close her eyes. She couldn't rest. Her mind had been thrown into turmoil by her spat with Beast Boy. Even meditation proved impossible. She couldn't shake this deep… what was it? Confusion? Irritation? Or could it be…

No. That was ridiculous.

Raven squashed the voice of truth that blared at her from within her mind. It was pointless to assume such feelings. Yet she couldn't quite silence her conscience. It repeated the word over and over, the single-syllable noun that summed up all her feelings at that moment.

Pain.

_Pain._

Confused pain. Pain that didn't know why it was there, but was there nevertheless. It was a pain deep inside, below anything else. It was so far inside that Raven wasn't sure it was even real. Could she just be imagining it? But every time she closed her eyes to clear her mind, burning green eyes met her. They were deeper and more searing than the pits of the underworld that her father, Trigon, had locked her in. They were horrifying and wondrous at the same time. She couldn't shake their stare.

Raven glanced over at Beast Boy and winced when she found him looking back at her. She quickly lowered her eyes as they met his again. They were such a clear shade of emerald green. But she couldn't see the same swirling emotions that she had seen the night before. Instead of anger and embarrassment, she read a quiet determination; peaceful, not harsh. It was like he just knew that he was going to prove her wrong. Out of pure habit - nothing more - Raven found it amusing.

The Titans gang soon arrived at the pizza shop that was their habitual place to find lunch. The second he sat down, Cyborg yelled, "Pepperoni; buy one get a large free! Booyah!"

That was it. The signal for the floodgates to open and for the heated opinions to fly. Beast Boy would argue for vegetarian supreme, Cyborg would insist on the 'all meat experience', and Starfire would every-so-kindly suggest a large with pickles, M&Ms, and extra mustard. Raven braced herself for Beast Boy's passionate disagreement to come. All was silent.

All eyes fell on Beast Boy, who quietly read his menu. Apparently, he noticed the tense confusion of his teammates. He glanced up.

"What?" he asked innocently.

Cyborg cleared his throat, leaned over into Beast Boy's pointed ear, and shouted as loud as he could, "I said: PEPPERONI!!! BUY ONE, GET A LARGE _FREE_!!! _BOOYAH_!!!!!"

"Cool!" Beast Boy said cheerily, and every eye at the table bulged to the size of a basketball. "Good for you Cyborg. I'm not really hungry anywa-!"

Raven whooshed over to where he sat, face as tight as a stretched rubber band. Without a word, she grabbed Beast Boy's wrist and yanked him out of his seat.

"We need to talk," she growled, dragging Beast Boy over to the other end of the food court. Swinging him around, she placed him roughly up against the brick wall of the Pizza shop, her midnight eyes flashing with barely contained anger.

"Whoa, Raven," Beast Boy said, eyes wide with confusion, "What's up?"

Raven, still holding his wrist, fumed silently. She twisted his arm up and checked his pulse. "Well," she said curtly, ignoring his question, "you aren't a robot because you have a pulse." She pressed the two first fingers of each hand on Beast Boy's temples and close her eyes, feeling his thoughts. "…And you haven't lost your mind because you still have one for me to read." Roughly releasing Beast Boy's head, she leaned in on his face, her searing gaze making him flinch for a second. But, to her great surprise, he straightened, peridot eyes calm but firm.

"Why do you think I'm crazy?" he asked.

"Because," Raven snapped, "you aren't arguing. You aren't making vegetarian excuses. You aren't being _pointless_. You… you…" she didn't even have words to describe her confusion. Being confused made her angry. And Beast Boy's strange behavior was more than a little flabbergasting.

"You don't like the fact that I'm really being mature, do you?" There was no anger in the question. Instead, to her intense irritation, Raven detected a large amount of smugness in his tone. Before she could think of a good argument, Beast Boy continued eyes widening in revelation, "You like having someone to mess with, don't you? You may be able to contain your anger for a while, but you just can't bear to keep all that sarcasm in."

Raven tried not to let him see the stunning wave of surprise that swept over her at the revealing accusation. It was the most intelligent thing she had ever heard him say. And, worst of all, it was true.

She had never admitted it. Not even to herself. And yet, it had always been true. She couldn't stand to leave him alone. Despite her great maturity, she just loved to knock Beast Boy down. Why? Because everything she said about him was true. It was true! And Raven couldn't run from that. She had to proclaim it. The only things she ever said were straight facts, and she couldn't keep them in. Of the two of them, Raven realized that she had the bigger mouth. Beast Boy, unless he was angry or hurt, had never said anything demeaning to her. Her words to him were soaked with sarcasm, dry of even the smallest bit of friendly teasing. His words to her, on the contrary, were purely fun, never meant to hurt.

Despite her desperate attempt to hide it, her revelation glowed in her eyes. She couldn't deny it. She couldn't even try. How could she be so cruel? Maybe she _had_ always been the dark one, but she had never considered herself capable of such a brutal act! Finally Raven realized that, though she always told the truth - however harsh it may have been - about everyone else, she had never even thought to begin telling the truth about herself. Her view of herself was completely twisted. In her mind, she was always right, and everyone else, more accurately, Beast Boy, was always wrong and in need of correction.

It was all too clear to Beast Boy what the stunned sorceress was thinking. But his face remained understanding. "Raven, it's okay."

Raven was too upset to keep up her harsh face. Too lost in self pity to check her helpless tone. She hardly even noticed she was talking out loud. "It's true," she whispered brokenly. "I'm so… I'm such a liar. I thought I was so perfect and that everybody else was wrong. How could I be so proud?"

Beast Boy had never seen his dark friend this way. He had to squash his happiness at being right quickly before Raven could be hurt by it. This was nothing to be happy about. She was clearly upset.

Before he realized what he was doing, Beast Boy took hold of Raven's shoulders. She was surprised out of her misery by the sudden contact. Looking up, their eyes locked.

"Hey, Raven," Beast Boy soothed quietly. "It's no big deal. I forgive you."

Raven lowered her eyes, still deeply shaken. Suddenly, her body stiffened. She had to be alone. She needed time to meditate. To calm down. It would be best to go back to the Tower and just have some time by herself in her room. She backed out of Beast Boy's grip and turned away, relief flooding her when her face was free of his gaze.

"I have to go," she muttered tersely, and before Beast Boy could try to calm her, she flew away.


	3. Chapter 3

This chapter's a bit longer than usual, which is probably why it's a bit later than I would have liked. Sorry.

Well, a generous reviewer pointed out a problem in the last chapter. I have to say, I'm very glad they did. So in this chapter, I hope to fix that problem. Thanks for the feedback! Remember, kind reviewers, that criticism and insights are welcome. In fact, their mandatory!

Just kidding! But seriously, it's very helpful to know what you think. I make mistakes, tons of them, and I sometimes need help identifying those mistakes. (naturally, spelling, punctuation, and grammar do not count, but you knew that!) Two heads are better than one. If you can think of anything you would like to mention, feel free to mention it.

Now that that's said, on with the story…

Chapter 3

War for Peace

Raven lay on her back, staring up at the dark ceiling of her room. This was usually the position that Starfire would adopt if frustrated, confused, or just plain tired. But Raven found that stretched position to be much more comfortable than her habitual cross-legged, straight-backed pose. Her mind was in total turmoil, and her original idea to meditate had proved pointless. No matter how hard she tried to concentrate, her mind kept flipping on her.

The reasons for this were hardly obvious, and it was driving Raven up a wall trying to figure out what they were. She was normally so collected, so organized. What had upset her internal balance so shockingly?

Raven flushed red as she remembered her breakdown in front of Beast Boy. He must have thought she was pretty pathetic for that. What had caused such a freedom of emotion inside of her? She was surprised she hadn't blown the top off of Titan's Tower with her turbulent emotions.

There was only one reason, and it was even more upsetting (and partially absurd) than her complete obsession with annoying Beast Boy. Maybe, over the course of their time together, the entire state of her mind had centered around Beast Boy's premature actions and how she was supposed to react to them. Sarcasm had become the strongest emotion that she had ever shown to anyone, and the rest of her feelings were ignored or otherwise forgotten completely. She had become so used to her life with the Titans and the emotions that she showed them (sarcasm), that she was no longer used to other emotions like happiness (though she felt that occasionally), anger (the strongest she had ever gone into that was extreme irritation with Beast Boy), sadness, excitement, fear, and helplessness. Her mind was totally settled, and not much that anyone did could upset that balance.

But, finally, she had met her match. Beast Boy was so easy to handle when he was just annoying. But this new, mature, reasonable, _intelligent _Beast Boy? He drove her insane trying to figure out. Her sarcasm no longer seemed fitting to deal with him, nor did anger (he was just growing up for Pete's sake! She couldn't be mad at him for maturing!), or happiness (she was hardly happy about being driven out of her mind). Was she sad? Sad to see him changing, the Beast Boy she knew disappearing forever?

That was ridiculous.

Raven rubbed her temples with the first two fingers of each hand, what she normally did when she had a headache. Today, she was trying to massage away a full-blown migraine. It only made it worse remembering her breakdown in front of Beast Boy. Being in such a state of unbalance, she had reacted with the first emotion that had popped into her head: depression. Disgust at her own incredible arrogance. The more Raven though about it, the more it made sense. And if this was what was happening to her, how was she supposed to stop it?

Beast Boy sat on the sofa in the main room of Titans tower, absentmindedly flipping channels on the TV. Nothing good was on. Nothing good was ever on, it seemed. 400 channels. Pointless.

Beast Boy bit his tongue. He was starting to sound like Raven. Was this what growing up was like? Certainly a bizarre experience…

Cyborg came into the room and sat down beside him, flipping through a games magazine he'd picked up out on the town. For a long moment, the two boys just ignored each other, both lost in their own little world.

Finally, Cyborg looked up from his magazine at the TV. This was the eighth time Beast Boy had run over the food channel. Why was he going through all those channels so many times? Cyborg had done plenty of flipping in his time too, but this was ridiculous!

"Yo, BB," Cyborg addressed him for the first time. "Don't you have anything better to do?"

"Nope," Beast Boy answered honestly.

"You're just acting really… calm."

"Yup."

Cyborg squinted at the green boy. What was his problem? First he was the normal dumbwitted, geeky Beast Boy, then he was all… quiet. It made Cyborg uncomfortable.

"Sooo… did you talk to Raven?"

Beast Boy looked at him, frustration in his eyes. "Are you crazy? She'd probably just… beat me up."

"C'mon, man!" Cyborg insisted. "Somethin's up with her, and you seem to be the only guy who knows what it is! You have to do something!"

Beast Boy sighed.

Suddenly, the door opened and Starfire and Robin entered. They settled onto the couch next to Beast Boy.

"Has anyone seen Raven lately?" Robin asked after a moment of strange silence.

"No." Beast Boy and Cyborg both stated flatly, annoyed at each other.

"Perhaps our friend would require the cheering up," Starfire suggested innocently. "Beast Boy, you spoke with her last. Do you know what could be the matter wi-!"

"No!" Beast Boy cried, jumping off the couch. Would everyone stop bugging him already? "I don't know what's wrong with Raven!" Suddenly, he realized that was a lie. The truth was, he had a pretty good idea what was bugging Raven. He just didn't know how to fix it. She seemed so… frustrated with him now, and not in the normal, irritated way.

Beast Boy turned towards the TV, thoughtful as his friends watched with concern.

"Hmmm," Beast Boy hummed thoughtfully. "But maybe I can fix this. She seems pretty upset about me being more mature…" as he mumbled, he didn't notice a gray hand wrap around Starfire's shoulder, and another one curl around Robin's. As Cyborg watched in confusion, the two pale hands yanked Robin and Starfire off the couch. A black raven rose out of the ground and enveloped them in darkness. As soon as it appeared, it vanished, taking Starfire and Robin with it. Cyborg remained silent, wondering what Raven was up to.

Beast Boy continued his solo debate. "Maybe if I'm a bit slow on this whole 'growing up' thing, then Raven won't be so mad about it. Maybe then she'll start to li-!" He froze, realizing that his teammates were listening to everything he was saying. He turned around, starting to see that Starfire and Robin were no longer parked on the couch. He hadn't heard anyone leave.

"Where's Star and Rob?" he asked, thankful for a distraction from his slip.

Cyborg avoided his gaze, flipping through the pages of his magazine. "Oh, maybe their up on the roof or something," he suggested innocently.

Beast Boy squinted at him, but let it drop. They were probably sharing memories or whatever.

Beast Boy would never be able to do that with Raven. She wasn't the mushy, romantic type. She didn't even like him as it was. Maybe she had had some feelings for him in the past, but they had been very, very faint feelings. After the frustrating conversations over the past few days, she had probably dropped those dim fuzzies.

Still… there was a chance. Maybe?

Beast Boy shrugged. It was worth a try. What was the worst that could happen? But first, he needed a plan. If, by some wondrous miracle, Raven agreed, where would he take her? His eyes rolled around the room as he thought. Suddenly, they fell on an article Cyborg was reading.

He snatched the magazine out of Cyborg's hands, bright green eyes darting over the article as an idea formed in his head.

"Yo, BB!" Cyborg exclaimed, standing. "I was reading that!"

"This is perfect!" Beast Boy shouted, dancing around with the magazine stretched out in front of him. "It's the immature, geeky thing that Raven would expect me to do. She won't freak out on me! This is my chance!" He sped out of the room, the magazine still in hand.

Cyborg let him go. He just stood watching as the doors slid shut, head shaking slowly as a smile of amusement came over his face. Suddenly, it disappeared. Whatever Raven wanted with Star and Robin, she didn't want Beast Boy to know about it.

He had to stop Beast Boy from knocking on Raven's door when she wasn't ready! Cyborg flew through the doors and down the hall, hoping that he would catch Beast Boy in time.

Raven released her magic. The blackness that enveloped her, Starfire, and Robin, dimmed to deep blue as they entered the grim darkness of Raven's room. She faced away from her friends, not allowing them to see the turmoil on her face. There was a long pause as Raven tried to figure out what to tell them. She wasn't about to let them see all that was going on. Not yet.

"Uh, Raven?" Robin asked. "Is there something you want to talk to us about?"

Pulling her hood over her face, Raven turned. She kept her eyes closed and flattened her mouth into a wire-thin line. In her unbalanced state, Raven had to fight every muscle in her face to keep herself from smiling. Starfire looked like she had just seen a ghost. The things that could scare that girl…

"I want you too meditate… with me."

Robin's face was nothing less than the definition of bewilderment. As was Starfire's, though hers was also a mix of disturbed fear. Raven could just guess what they were thinking, _without _reading their minds.

"Um, Raven, are you well?" Starfire asked quietly.

"No," Raven answered, tone flat as paper. She took a deep breath. She couldn't hold back all the emotions within her. This was the best way for all of them. She chanced to show a fraction of her burning feelings. What her friends saw was a face transformed by pain, reluctance, embarrassment, and pleading misery. "I just really need you guys here right now. I don't know what's happening to me-or maybe I do. But whatever it is, if I don't get it together, it'll tear me apart from the inside out. Meditating by myself won't work. You are the only two people in the world who understand me the way I need you to right now." That wasn't true. She could see by the looks on their faces that they knew there was a third person. But, to her great relief, they remained silent. She just wasn't on good terms with him right now, and they understood that. She let a sad smile escape, a sign of her thanks.

Starfire placed a gentle hand on her shoulder. "Raven, we are always here for you."

Robin put a hand on her other shoulder. "Tell us what we need to do."

Raven stifled a relieved sigh. She didn't want to throw away _all _her dignity. Taking each of their outstretched hands, she led them down into a cross-legged position. Robin and Starfire joined hands, and the ring of three friends fell silent.

"Now," Raven ordered quietly, and the three began to chant.

"Azarath… Metrion… Zinthos. Azarath… Metrion… Zinthos. Azara…"

Beast Boy skidded to a halt outside Raven's door. His chest heaved in exaggerated huffs. He had to exercise his immaturity before he knocked. It felt good to let loose. This was who he was. Maybe this was or the better after all…

He lifted his gloved fist to knock and-!

"BB!"

Beast Boy turned when he heard Cyborg's shout down the hall. His friend came running down the hall, and Beat Boy distinctly saw him speed up when he saw Beast Boy's hand raised to knock. Now he was really suspicious. Just what was Raven doing in there?

Cyborg halted abruptly next to his friend, swept him up in a great hug, and rubbed his green hair into a tousled mess. "There's my best little bud!!" he yelled, but Beast Boy, however suffocated and shaken, could see right through the friendly tone in Cyborg's voice. He was most definitely hiding something. "What are you doin' here?" Cyborg asked loudly, as if he had just met a friend he hadn't seen in years in a store or on the sidewalk unexpectedly. Beast Boy didn't buy it for a mili-second.

"I was just going to talk to Raven like you suggested so strongly I should," Beast Boy said, mimicking Raven's dry sarcasm.

Cyborg's face went red with embarrassment. He laughed nervously, his act slipping. "Yeah, well… um, I was just thinking that you looked a little brown. Maybe we should go get you a king sized slurped or something, you know, to rehydrate you."

Although he was more than a little annoyed at being compared to a dying lawn, Beast Boy remained silent. In that uncomfortable pause, Beast Boy could hear movement inside Raven's room. There was a faint zap that was the unmistakable trademark of her teleportation magic. So that was where Star and Rob went…

Giving one last glance to Cyborg, Beast Boy turned and knocked on the door. All his nerves came back on him as he waited for the door to open.

It had actually started to work. After several chants, Raven had felt her feelings ebb and order be restored. Then there came a knock.

She sensed Beast Boy's presence at once. Before she could do anything to stop it, all her feelings sprang back up on her, lighting her mind with a flurry of confusion. Without a word, she released Starfire and Robin's hands and stood. Planting her midnight eyes on the door, she whispered, "Thank you," and sent the two away in a raven-shaped zap of magic.

Not a muscle moved. For a long moment, Raven waited uncertainly. She risked showing all that she had worked so hard to conceal for so long. If she opened that door, she could lose all control like she had at the pizza shack. She wanted more than anything to prevent that.

But something inside of her told her it would be all right. The little voice grew in strength until it was blaring in her mind, until she couldn't block it out no matter what she did. Slowly, she walked towards the door.

He almost squealed in fright when the door opened. Icy dark eyes stared out from under Raven's dark hood through the crack between the door and the frame. Cyborg shrank back a bit, then decided to leave the two completely. Without a word, he slipped away down the hall.

At first, Beast Boy didn't really know what to say. He choked over words. "Uhh.. Heh… hey, uh, Raven."

Not a muscle on her pale face twitched. Beast Boy felt sweat bead on his forehead. "Uh, I was wondering…" Beast Boy whipped the magazine out from behind his back and waved it in front of Raven's face, "Would you like to go with me to the demonstration of this new virtual reality game tomorrow? I'll pay."

For the first time, Raven's eyes seemed to fill with uncertainty. He continued with a bit more confidence.

"I thought that maybe you would like a break from the Tower and your room… maybe." He got more confident. "It could be kinda like a date."

Before he could really think about what he just said, Raven's eyes iced over again, and Beast Boy couldn't help but think that he had just blown it.

"No." And the door slammed in his face.


	4. Chapter 4

Well, I really hope I'm not totally confusing you guys… I know that a lot of the feelings and reasons in this fic are pretty… complicated, but I hope that I've been able to describe it well enough so that it makes sense. That's probably why it took so long… Sorry! Thanks everyone for all the feedback, and I will do my best to make more sense in this chapter.

The title to this chapter may raise some eyebrows, but I assure you, I mean nothing improper or derogatory by this…

**Chapter 4**

**Don't Say the "D" Word…**

Beast Boy just stood there, mouth open. Wow… that was harsh. Even for Raven. Maybe he'd picked a bad time. Maybe he hadn't been clear enough that he wasn't going to go all 'mature' on her again. Or maybe… maybe she just wasn't interested.

He moaned and threw his head back into the wall, listening to the long hollow doooonng. He had tried to impress her, and ended up alienating her. Genius, he thought sarcastically. Then he hung his head and stalked to his room, holding in all his frustration until the door was closed. Looking up, he saw his mirror against the wall.

"You idiot!" he yelled. "She's not interested, okay! She never was. All that mature crud you faked yesterday… it was just… argh!!!" He lost his words and resorted to just growling and stalking in tight circles around the room. Finally, he swung back in front of the mirror and continued, hurt and upset. "You blew it!" He sighed and hung his head. "Now she'll never go out with me…"

His head jerked up. That was exactly what he had said about Terra. She'd come around. But that was Terra. He'd known that she was interested in him. This was _Raven _he was talking about. He didn't even know if she liked him or not. Now, more than ever, he felt like she just didn't care.

He hadn't faked his anger when she wouldn't stop being sarcastic towards him. The mature stuff - the reserved, serious guy - was an act. He'd pulled it from an episode of Dr. Phil. Just flipping channels in the middle of the night to blow off some steam from their argument, Beast Boy had stumbled across the late night edition of the famous doctor. It was about a couple who's relationship had been thrown into turmoil because the woman's husband was a total clown. What did she want him to do? She wanted him to be more mature.

Beast Boy could almost see a light bulb go off above his head in his reflection on the TV screen. That was it! If he acted more mature, maybe Raven would like him more. She never seemed to react to well to his joking, immature side…

But it had blown up in his face. Raven seemed even more upset with his grown up side than anything else. He'd never seen her so upset…

Thumping his green head against the glass of the mirror, Beast Boy decided one thing, something that Raven had said many times before.

It is pointless.

Climbing over piles of… unidentifiable stuff, Beast Boy jumped up to the top bunk of his bed, morphed into a depressed little puppy, and curled up in the sheets.

Raven leaned against her door, eyes wet in the darkness. She scrubbed the tears away bitterly. More came. She began to sniffle and shake and her sobs grew in intensity. It surprised her more than anything else, but she couldn't stop it. It was like she no longer had any control over her emotions at all.

Before she knew it, Raven was sobbing intensely. She dropped to her knees, tugging at her hair in her attempt to stop herself. Sparks of dark energy flew off of her. Several books on one of her shelves went black with her magic and shot out of their place into the opposite wall. The force of her emotions cracked her window, tied her curtains into a tight knot, and sent the rest of her books into the wall and all over the floor.

Finally, her sobs eased. She gasped for air. The intensity of her emotions startled her. Where had that explosion of misery come from?

Raven's dark eyes narrowed. She knew exactly where it had come from.

"That's it," she said, breathing heavily. "Time to fix this the drastic way."

Tears still creeping down her pale cheeks, Raven picked up her meditation mirror. She sniffed, wiping the rest of her tears away with a quick rub of her dark sleeve. One deep breath and her signature chant later, Raven found herself in darkness lit by blood red stars. She stood on a circle of rock several meters long that floated above nothing but more stars.

Concentrating, Raven called her different sides and waited. And waited. After several minutes her eyes narrowed. Where were they all?

Raven took one step forward to search and halted. Something was wrong… with her. Her nose twitched, her eyebrow trembled, and she suddenly exploded in a fit of laughter. It was so unexpected and so powerful, she fell over, grasping her aching stomach. She laughed so hard she cried, tears falling to the gray stone. Several long minutes passed before she could recover herself again. It was getting worse. That could only mean one thing: they were close. In fact, she could sense one approaching. She could easily guess which one it was considering her emotional outburst just seconds before. But where were the others?

"Raven!"

Raven spun around as the Raven-in-pink, Bliss, ran up, an enormous smile across her face. She halted a mere two inches away from Raven and leaned in, smile spreading even wider until it looked like it would grow past her face.

"He asked me on a date!" she gasped, practically squealing. "A date! Can you believe it?" She spun around, clasping her hands together and twirling to herself. "A date! A DATE!!! A D-!" Raven became aware of a large crack in the gray rock a few feet away that grew longer and thicker as Bliss danced. This was bad. She was literally losing her mind.

"Stop! Don't say that word!" Raven ordered fiercely, fighting the intense urge to smile and giggle and twirl and blush along with her pink clone.

Bliss' twirls slowed. "What word?" she asked innocently.

Raven huffed, cheeks going florid. "That… the "D" word." She called upon her stern voice again. "Don't say it. Besides, I said no."

That seemed to suck all the life out of Bliss for a second. But, to Raven's intense annoyance, her smile flew back over her face like it had never left. "Well, at least I know he likes me! He likes me, he likes me…!" and on she went, singing to herself and skipping and twirling some more until Raven felt ready to throttle her and join her dance at the same time. She was way too happy, even for her. Way, way too happy…

Before she could actually lose her temper (or her mind), a second Raven glided up. Misery. Her robe's color melded with the stone she stood on, and her skin seemed grayer.

"I said no?" she whimpered, tears flowing. "And I slammed the door in his face? Oh, Beast Boy… I've done so many terrible things to him, but now I've broken his heart completely!" And with that, she broke down into a fit of unstoppable sobs. Raven just stood blinking, eyes going wet with the force of her clone's breakdown. She had to stop this before she blew Jump city to bits. The crack in the rock grew longer and a chunk of it broke off into starry nothingness. "I can't believe what I've done!" Misery continued.

"I had to," a third voice said from the left. Raven, trying to scrub the oncoming tears out of her eyes, turned to see herself cloaked in yellow, enormous round glasses sitting at the end of her nose. It was Whiz. "My studies show that my IQ would have dropped five points over the course of a half an hour. Just because Garfield does not have a brain does not mean I have to lose mine for the sake of going out with him."

Bliss hopped up to Whiz. "Garfield? Oooh, that's so CUTE!!!! It's such an adorable name!"

Raven was about to agree with a giggle, but another emotion cut her off.

"Pu-lease!" a fourth Raven, Flair, sniffed, "BB's cute, but he has no sense of style. I mean, purple and black is so last decade!"

Whiz squinted at her, lifting her glasses up a bit higher on her nose only to have them slip back down again. "Isn't that what you're wearing?"

Flair looked down. Her light purple robe accented a black leotard. She blushed. "This isn't purple," she sputtered, offended, "This is lavender."

Whiz squinted again, but said nothing.

Raven was ready to break in when a spitball hit her square in the side of the head. _Another _Raven dressed in orange, Hoax, approached.

"So, why can't I go on this date with BB?" she asked, like she hadn't just nailed Raven in the ear with a hundred-mile-an-hour spitball. "He's the coolest!"

"Don't say that word!" Raven insisted. "Now I need you to calm down or-!"

"Calm down?" Misery sniffled. "I just broke the heart of the only man I ever really liked!"

"Calm down, you big crybaby!" Hoax said, folding her arms, not noticing another chunk of rock breaking off of the stone platform.

_My thoughts exactly,_ Raven thought, cringing at the pun. She was literally destroying her own mind with this insanity. The more her different sides goofed off like this, the more she freaked out in the real world as well. She turned red thinking of going Starfire happy in front of Beast Boy, or becoming a pathetic sob story like last time. They had to be stopped before that happened.

"Ah, the multi-colored raven falls;

It's wings weak and shriveled;

All things fail in their time;

So why is this such a riddle?"

The poem came from yet another Raven approaching, this one cloaked in brown. A green-clad Raven, Valiance, followed the brown Raven, Elegiac.

"Yeah, what's this crazy party about?" Valiance asked.

No one really had an answer to this accept for Raven… well, the _human_ Raven.

"You are all out of balance," she said, a bead of sweat forming on her forehead as she noticed another crack showing in the ground. The rock groaned, and she felt a tremble. "I can't control you when you're so… extreme, and I can't afford to lose control in the real world. I'll hurt someone."

"I think I already managed that one," Misery moaned.

"It can't happen again," Raven continued, ignoring Misery. "The next time I have an emotional breakdown, I could knock Titan's Tower into the bay."

"Sounds cool!" Hoax put in excitedly.

"It's not," Raven replied.

"I don't think I'll be able to get over breaking Beast Boy's heart," Misery mumbled.

Raven sighed. Misery was her biggest problem at the moment. What could she do to make her happy… An Idea came into Raven's mind, and she didn't like it. "Fine, if I go tell Beast boy I can go with him on a d- an _outing_, will you calm down?"

Misery sniffed. "I think so."

Bliss sucked in a huge breath and squealed. "A DA-!" The squeal was almost drowned out by the rumble and groan of the rock beneath there feet. Strangely, none of her sides noticed it. But Raven was almost knocked over.

"I told you not to say that!" Raven growled, regaining her feet. "And if I go with Beast boy that means that YOU" - Raven leaned in close to Bliss' face - "need to stay relatively calm. Understood?"

Bliss gave a sheepish little nod. The rock settled, fell silent, and Raven huffed with relief.

She straightened up. "That means all of you," she added. "I need you all as calm as possible."

Valiance raised her hand. "I think you're going to need a lot of me for this one, Rae," she objected. "Whether you like it or not, Mistress Misery over there is going to be shyer than anything. You'll need me to balance her out."

Raven nodded. "I will," she agreed. Then she noticed a mischievous little smile on Hoax and Bliss' faces. "Behave." she said coldly. "Just because Beast Boy wants me to think of this as a date, it _isn't_. It won't grow into anything, I promise you. After this, hopefully, I'll be able to deal with this… new Beast Boy. We'll meditate before I confront him again just so that you all are as calm as absolutely possible when I talk to him. I don't want any surprises."

Maybe this trip would be good for her. If she spent time with new, mature Beast Boy, she would be able to analyze his new personality, figure out how to react to it, and make the necessary changes in the balance of her emotions. This was what she had done when she first joined the Teen Titans. In this way, she would be able to figure the mildest way to react to anything that they did or said in order to keep her powers under control. Now she just had to redo it with Beast Boy, and all would be well again.

Raven spent the rest of the night meditating with her different sides, preparing them for her outing with Beast Boy. She didn't want any surprises. When she was sure they were as calm as she could possibly get them (Bliss was still bubbling about the, "coughdatecough", but Raven couldn't get her to stop doing that and so gave up), she left, already feeling her hopes rising.

Still, she didn't go straight to Beast Boy's room. That might be enough to set Bliss or Misery off. Instead, she went into the main room with a book and sat down on the couch. Beast Boy would come out of his room some time or another. She was comfortable with waiting.

It was only a few minutes until the expected green boy entered the room. He didn't notice her at first, and went straight to the kitchen. His back was slumped, his head hung low, and he let his arms dangle in an extremely exaggerated pose that only Beast Boy would consider normal. Raven watched as he pulled some soymilk and a big plate of tofu waffles out of the fridge and sat at the long island that separated the kitchen from the living room. He still didn't look up.

"I was thinking," Raven began. Beast Boy almost jumped out of his skin with a wimpy squeal. Raven kept a straight face with some difficulty (this was something she had once been used to, but after all of her rearranging that night, it took a bit of concentration to control a laughing Bliss). But she continued.

He hadn't been expecting her in the main room that morning. He hadn't even really been thinking about it. But of course she was here, when no one else was awake. Why was he here at the earth-endingly early hour of ten in the morning? He hadn't been able to sleep at all, and it was boring just lying there on the dirty sheets. Breakfast would do him some good, he had, at last, decided.

Now all thought of food was forgotten.

Raven continued. "That geek-fest starts today, right?"

"Uuuuhhhh," Beast Boy stuttered, trying to comprehend her words and answer correctly. "Yeah."

"I was thinking that it could be… interesting. You know, the whole virtual reality thing."

Beast Boy perked up. "Really?!"

Raven had just begun to say 'yes', but Beast Boy leaped over the island and onto the couch beside her in one jump and spoke before she could get it out.

"Cool! This'll be so fun! Oh, and that whole dark, serious thing - it was a, uh, faze, and I'm all over it now."

…

…

…

…Oh, great…


	5. Chapter 5

Happy New Year everyone! I'm very sorry that this took so long. My free time has been taken up by other things. I hope you all like this new chapter It's where the real fun gets started…

Chapter 5

Maybe This Wasn't Such a Good Idea After All…

"So why was six afraid of seven?"

Raven cringed at the joke. Beast Boy hadn't stopped telling jokes ever since she had agreed to come with him to the new virtual reality game expo. What was with him? If he told another lame joke that Bliss couldn't help but laugh at, she might just send him through the roof.

Raven pulled her hood over her face to hide the smile that fought to control her mouth. "What?" she asked automatically, trying to cover Bliss' excited giggle with a tone of mild interest. She didn't want to totally make him feel she wasn't interested, or perhaps Misery would make herself known.

Beast Boy fought to stop laughing before he even gave the answer to his joke. "Because seven ate nine!" He burst out laughing, then realized that Raven wasn't sharing his humor. "Uh, Raven? You… you get it, right? Seven, eight, nine?"

"Um, yeah, Beast Boy, I get it," Raven said, keeping her distance. "It… um… it's really funny." She made a feeble attempt at laughing, then gave it up. If she pretended to laugh, she might actually start doing it. She backed off a bit more. Sucking in a breath, she tried to calm down. This was not working out. She needed time to meditate, time to get away. She had to escape somehow.

"Oh, Raven, I have another one…"

Raven sucked in a trembling breath from the shadow of her hood. This was starting to get annoying…

All of a sudden, Raven became aware of a presence, a presence she had not met for a long time. It felt like a heat, a boiling heat deep inside of her that grew with each passing second. Coursing through her body, it made her muscles tense, set her jaw, and forced her heart beat to quicken. All noise in the building ceased, and all Raven could hear was her own heavy breathing… her own heart beating… her own steps quickening. Whatever it was, it felt like a raging stampede of emotion, something she couldn't stop, something that made her grab Beast Boy by the collar and force him against the wall.

"Why are you doing this?" she demanded, in a tone neither of them could recognize as her own. "You're acting immature! You're making lame jokes and acting like a completely goofy, insensitive, brainless, tv-loving idiot, and I want to know why?!" Raven couldn't even see through the fiery film of her rage to notice Beast Boy's utter shock and pain at her sudden explosion. "First you're a pain in the butt, then you're a mysterious psycho, and now you're back to your stupid self" A horrid idea formed in her furious mind. "Is this a prank?" she accused.

Beast Boy started out of his alarm. "Raven, no! I - I - it's not a-!"

"It _is_ a prank, isn't it?!" Raven yelled. The lights in the ceiling above them shattered, but she didn't flinch. "Don't think telling me would make me like you any less. You want to know the truth, Beast Boy?! I _couldn't_ like you any less!!! I didn't go on this stupid date because I cared for you at all. I don't! Do you want to know what I think of you?! I think you are a stupid-" an entire shelf of DVDs fell over "- little -" a nearby booth exploded "- _**BRAT!!!!!"**_ The entire building erupted in chaos as booths were torn apart by explosions of magic, shelves flew across the floor, and windows shattered.

Suddenly, the rage ceased. Raven shook her head and saw Beast Boy slumped against the wall. He was crying and trembling like a frightened child. The look in his wide eyes was too much. Raven looked away, only to see the destruction she had caused in her outburst. Everyone stared at her, frightened, or angry. She couldn't take it. With a sob, Raven teleported into the floor and out into the bathroom.

Slumping onto the sink, Raven looked in the mirror and gasped. A red hooded girl with four midnight blue eyes stared back at her, sneering.

"Hello, Raven," it hissed.

Raven backed away. "No. I destroyed you!"

"Possibly one part of me," Rage agreed casually, "But a part of your anger still remains. Thanks to you, I am a shadow of what I used to be, but thanks to Beast boy, I can become far more one again." Then Raven noticed the differences. The voice wasn't that of her father, Trigon, whom she had destroyed. Instead, it was her voice, like a regular feeling, a regular side of her. The eyes, too, didn't reflect Trigon's blood red iris, but her own. This was merely your average temper. Nothing she should be afraid of…

But Raven was terrified, and she didn't know why.

"Oooh, do I really scare you that much, Raven?" Rage hissed. "I wonder… why? Is it because I nearly blew the top off of this building, or is it because I totally terrified your little boyfriend? You'll never be able to talk to him again!"

"Shut up!" Raven sizzled. But she knew that her irritation only fueled Rage more. What could she do? How could she fight this enemy…?

She had to apologize to Beast Boy. That much she knew. But would he accept? The look on his face… she'd never seen anything like it before, and especially not on his face. So terrible…

Raven whirled away from the mirror, feeling the searing gaze on the back of her neck. "Don't walk away from me Raven," she threatened. "You can never escape me. Not when I'm a natural part of you!"

Deeply disgusted, Raven stalked out of the bathroom and made her way to the main room, where people had just begun to clean up. Beast Boy stood talking to a woman a ways off. Raven could sense her heart beat racing. The lady was quite distressed.

Approaching apprehensively, Raven saw Beast Boy's eyes. Suddenly, he looked so mature, so lost, so… Raven couldn't make out the last thing. It wasn't anger. Not even disappointment. It was pain. Searing, horrible, pulsing pain. Had she hurt him that terribly… again? Her gaze dropped as Beast Boy glanced her way. She couldn't meet his horrible new eyes. And when he spoke, she couldn't recognize the tone in his voice.

"Ms. Colins would like our help," he stated flatly. All business. Nothing familiar at all. The strangeness of it smacked Raven in the face. So new… "Her virtual reality game-play prototype malfunctioned, and she's convinced it's a virus. She's asked us to investigate and find the hacker. I've already called the other Titans."

Raven tried to listen to the words coming out of Beast Boy's mouth, but the screaming voice in her head prevented her from hearing much. "Beast Boy, I need to talk to you." The amount of emotion in her voice surprised her. _No, Misery, not now!_

"We'll talk later," Beast Boy brushed her off. "Right now, we have a mission."

_He sounds like Robin…_ Raven thought grimly. "No, Beast Boy," she said, firm but demanding. "We need to talk now."

Beast Boy paused, then nodded. "All right, what?"

Ignoring the obvious irritation in his tone, Raven blurted, "I'm sorry Beast Boy. I didn't mean to yell at you like that-!"

"It's okay," Beast Boy cut in. "You got it out. I understand." A smile, too ironic for Raven's liking, spread across his face. "You know, it's funny. The only reason I faked this whole mature thing was fo-!"

The glass doors of the complex slid open and Robin, Cyborg, and Starfire raced in. Robin approached Beast Boy.

"What happened here?" he asked, mission-ready.

"Trouble," Beast Boy answered simply. "Mrs. Colins' virtual reality game is on the blink because of a virus, and she needs us to find the hacker."

"What about the mess?" Robin pressed, looking around at the trashed booths and scattered DVDs.

Beast Boy hesitated and Raven blushed. Why didn't he just tell Robin what happened and get it over with? Robin wouldn't yell at her. He knew she was having emotional problems.

In the awkward silence, Robin guessed what had happened, but he dropped the subject. Instead, he turned to Mrs. Colins.

"We'll need to take the prototype to our Tower and see if we can trace the hacker from there," he told her.

"Oh of course!" Mrs. Colins blurted. "If anyone can find them, it's the Teen Titans!"

Raven peered into the living room of Titan's Tower. The windows let in the clear night sky of outside, and the midnight waves below. The TV screen remained lit, pouring artificial silver light over the dark floor, illuminating the empty soda cans and chips bags that lay scattered everywhere. Hunched on the couch in front of the television, a dark figure pressed buttons furiously on his video came control. Approaching cautiously, Raven stopped behind the couch. Beast Boy knew she was there, but he didn't turn.

"I came to check on you. It's 2 in the morning."

Beast Boy still didn't turn, toggling the joystick, then pressing a rapid series of buttons. "I know."

"Aren't you tired?" Raven asked, refusing all emotion from her voice. She'd done a good deal of meditating and finally seemed at balance with herself, but a little voice in the back of her mind called for attention, and Raven still had to concentrate to ignore it. Why did she want to be so close to Beast Boy? Did she just feel sorry for him? No, it was something more, something that had been there for a long time.

"No."

Raven took a deep breath and continued. The little voice grew louder, but she still refused to listen to it. "Robin said we would start the investigation early tomorrow. You should get some rest."

"Who cares what Robin thinks?" Beast Boy retorted, still not turning to look at her. "Besides, it doesn't matter if I sleep in or not. No one will need me for this mission. It's all techy."

"But it also has to do with video games, and you know more about them than any of us."

On his video game, Beast Boy's character was dying. He pushed the buttons on his control faster, and his voice became strained. "Cyborg knows plenty about video games. He'd be more help than me."

"Now you're just pouting," Raven huffed. "Whatever your problem is, get over it." She was being harsh, she knew, but her irritation at the nagging voice in her head mad her voice sharper than usual. Of course she knew what his problem was. He was angry with her, and it was her fault. But still, he didn't need to kick himself over it.

Beast Boy's character finally died and he forcefully pushed the pause button. "You know what my problem is, Raven?" he snapped, turning around. "I can't do anything right! I always mess up, and that just makes you mad, and then everyone else gets mad cuz you're mad, and it's my fault so everyone's mad at me!" He threw his controller to the ground for emphasis, then folded over and sighed.

Raven moved around the couch and sat next to him. "Look," she said gently "What happened today was my fault, not yours. I couldn't control myself, and so I took it out on you. I'm sorry if you think it's your fault."

"Well if it wasn't my fault, then why is everybody so uptight around here?" Beast Boy asked, looking at her.

"It's just… things have been difficult. There's been a lot of tension and… now everyone is a little more irritable than usual." Raven tried to put sentences together without mentioning anything about their relationship. _This is strictly an encouraging talk, nothing more!_

But Beast Boy obviously wanted to push the boundaries of the conversation. "What's been difficult? The mission's easy!" He was forcing her to talk about 'them,' and Raven knew it. Flustered, she tried to answer without going along with him.

"Well… we… teams get into arguments, or have hard times… and this is just one of those times."

That didn't satisfy Beast Boy. "I don't remember a _group_ argument, Raven."

Frustrated, Raven stood, cheeks thoroughly red. "Never-mind," she said, trying to keep her voice from straining. She didn't want to talk about that sort of stuff. She began to walk away. "You really should get some rest. We're _all_ going to Ms. Collin's warehouse tomorrow."

Beast Boy stood and grabbed her hand before she could leave. "Raven, wait," he said, a bit of panic in his voice.

Raven stopped, but she didn't turn, afraid that he would see her bright red cheeks. He'd never touched her like this before. She didn't realize how gentle his touch could be. It made her spine tingle. The voice in her head screamed for her to turn around, to look Beast Boy in his bright green eyes. Finally, she relented, but when she looked at Beast Boy's face, she didn't find what she had expected.

Instead of a firm, almost alien look, Raven found herself looking into shy green eyes over blushing cheeks that matched her own. _This_ was the Beast Boy she knew.

"I…I'm sorry," Beast Boy stuttered. "I didn't mean to irritate you like that. I just wanted to know what you really think about… you know… us being a… um… us being… 'us.'"

Raven gulped. What could she say? The idea was absurd, but strangely nice at the same time. The voice in her head quieted, as if satisfied with the situation. It seemed like everyone was pushing her to consider the possibility of Beast boy and her… _together_. And why didn't she want to talk about it? Every time she thought about it, she felt warm, and she would get goosebumps. It was something she'd always agreed with, but she'd never spoken her true thoughts on the subject. Now she had too, or risk hurting Beast Boy permanently.

"It… sounds…" Raven couldn't pull the right word out to save her life. And right now, she truly felt like she was going to die from embarrassment or panic - or both. "I think…" All she could do was squeeze Beast Boy's hand tighter, and hope he got the message. She _liked_ him. She really did. She just didn't know how to say it. "I…"

Beast Boy's eyes fell, and Raven gripped his hand like a vice. He wasn't getting it! "I LOVE you!" she spouted.


	6. Chapter 6

I had some trouble writing this chapter, unaided by the fact that my computer has crashed TWICE during the past month… Oh wel

I had some trouble writing this chapter, unaided by the fact that my computer has crashed TWICE during the past month… Oh well, I'm just glad I can get back to this. I know that last chapter's ending was cruel, and then I made you wait so long for the next chapter, but I'm just evil that way. BWAHAHAHAHAHAAAAA- hackcoughcoughwheezefaint Ahem… anyway, on with the show…

**Chapter 6**

**Breaking Into the W.O.R.L.D.**

Silence. Raven's mouth hung open with the shock of her own words, and Beast Boy stood equally slack-jawed. For a long time, the two just stared at each other, eyes big as frisbees. Then suddenly, Beast Boy's expression began to change. His cheeks, if red before, were flaming now. His ears drooped, his eyes went dreamy, and his pink tongue lolled out of his mouth, dripping drool onto the floor. And then he just fell over. His legs shot up into the air, snapping his body into a dramatic "L" shape before finally slumping to the ground. A second after he hit the floor, a bolt of escaped magic shot through the air, through the place where his head had just been, and through the window, shattering it.

The T-car's wheels hummed over the road, matching the happy tune in Beast Boy's mind. He heard a giggle from Starfire to his left, and realized that she must have been remembering the events of that morning. Robin, Cyborg, and Starfire had found him sprawled on the living room floor, a look of stupid rejoicing on his face. When they finally revived him, he couldn't wipe a ridiculous smile off his face, and he wouldn't stop making these strange humming noises.

Raven didn't show herself until it was time to go, when she was forced from her dark room only because the team promised to leave her alone for the rest of the day as soon as they returned. She seemed rather detached and even more irritable than usual. No one could even begin to guess what had happened.

But Beast Boy knew, and it made his smile all the wider and stupider. Raven liked him! She _really liked_ him! In fact, she liked him so much, she even _loved_ him! All his dreams had come true.

* * *

Raven stared out the window, refusing to look at Beast Boy, or anyone else for that matter. She couldn't face their questioning glances and keep her head. She couldn't even bear to look at Beast Boy, even now that her feelings were expressed in full. Especially now.

She hated to have to disappoint him so much. He might never get over it, and seeing the joy in his eyes would only make it harder for her to break his heart. She could barely bring herself to do it now.

As they pulled into the parking lot of an enormous grey warehouse, Raven could feel nothing but relief. They would all have to concentrate now, so Beat Boy would – hopefully – have no time to talk to her. She would have to approach him as soon as the mission was over, but Raven tried not to think about that.

The truth was, no matter how much she liked Beast Boy, they couldn't have a relationship together. It was just… impossible. Her emotions HAD to be kept in order, and if she began to openly show her strong feelings for someone, her powers would be too difficult to control. No… better to keep them inside, where she could control them. She could never unleash them, even for Beast Boy. Never.

The Titans were met at the door by Ms. Collins, and quickly led inside.

"This is where the malfunctioning machines were brought," Ms. Collins explained. "As soon as we realized they weren't working properly, we had to get them away from the press, you see. We can't have too much word about this spreading, you understand. I will show you to the room where they are kept, but then I must leave you for a conference and some damage control." Her glued-on smile rather annoyed Raven.

The entire warehouse building was a giant cement block hollowed out and sectioned off by slabs of cement; the first word that came into Raven's head at the thousands of halls and chambers was 'prison.' There were no windows, just harsh ceiling lights. Most of the rooms Ms Collins led them past were filled with boxes of game system parts.

"This room," Ms. Collins started, gesturing to a smaller room full of computers, "is where the data for the system and game programming is stored. My programmers have gone over them again and again since yesterday, but we couldn't find anything. Perhaps you will find something, though. A virus maybe, planted in the system."

Finally, they came to a larger room that was empty, except for three mechanical chairs covered with black upholstery. They looked a lot like dentist chairs, except they were far more comfortable.

"Here are the five machines we had on display," Ms. Collins said, gesturing. She glanced at her watch. "Oh, and I must be leaving. Feel free to look through whatever you think will help you, and I wish you the best of luck." With that, she left the room.

"All right, team," Robin started, "let's get to work, starting with the computers in the next room. There could be a virus in the programming, and if not, it'll at least familiarize us with the type of technology we're dealing with." Starfire, Cyborg, and Raven followed him out of the room, but Beast Boy hung back.

"Um, Raven?" he called cheerfully. Raven paused, stomach flipping. _Oh no…_

Beast Boy stuttered. "Um, about last night… I-"

"We should focus on the mission," Raven interrupted icily, startled at the sharpness in her own voice. She softened it considerably and added, "We can talk later."

Beast Boy flopped into one of the chairs. He hadn't been listening. "See, I think it would be good if we made a list… you know, of all the stuff we couldn't do to each other. Kind of like guidelines… Like NO magic wedgies!"

Raven sat down in the chair to Beast Boy's left. "Beast Boy… I have to tell you something." But he couldn't hear her over his list. Raven thumped her head against the chair back. "Why is it so hard t-" She never finished the word. There was a flash of pure light that nearly blinded her, and then darkness.

Beast Boy continued his list. "No stealing my nail clippers with magic, no blowing tofu eggs in my face… oh, and I PROMISE I won't tell any more jokes about you being from the underworld." He finally looked over at Raven, but she didn't seem to be paying attention. She just stared blankly at the ceiling, mouth slightly open. "Um, Raven? Raven?" He leaned over and waved his hand in her face. "Raven?"

He leaned even closer and shouted in her ear, knowing in the back of his mind she'd probably kill him. "RAVE-"

A loud click, a flash of white, and total blackness silenced Beast Boy.

* * *

Raven fought to open her eyes, but it hurt too much to move even that much. When she finally got her eyes open, her surroundings were almost as dark as when she kept her eyes closed. It took a minute to realize the silver light came from a large window in the wall to her left, through which the moon shown in over her.

_Wait a minute… there were no windows in the warehouse. Am I in my room?_

She sat up and squinted around at the room. No, it was most definitely not her room. She sat in a round room with a dome shaped roof. Glassless floor length windows surrounded her, looking out over a flat, dark ocean. The entire room smelled strongly of myrrh and incense, which just so happened to be what the burning stands around the room were filled with. Black silken sheets hung with soft lace covered the huge bed Raven found herself sitting on, spilling off onto the cold marble floor. A heavy looking wood door sat to her right.

Raven stared long and hard at the room, silently willing it to shift back into the warehouse room, or even her own bedroom. But it didn't change. It just sat there, and the pale moon out the window stared back at her.

"This is not happening…" Raven told herself, closing her eyes tight and rubbing her temples. "This is not happeni-" She looked down and almost shrieked at the soft black dress she was wearing. "Whoever put me in this thing will regret ever being born!" she threatened to the room, waiting for a guilty form to slip out from behind a cold looking stone statue, admit their prank, and plea for her mercy. But nothing happened. No movement. "Whoever you are," she tried again, "show yourself now." Nothing.

Raven simmered, half expecting her wild magic to blow the roof off the room. Again, she was surprised to be proven wrong. That made her forget the black velvet dress, the room, the ocean, the woody smell…

She was mad, very mad, and she wasn't even trying to control it. Yet her powers didn't shown themselves. A sickening thought made her whisper, "Azarath. Metrion. Zinthos," quickly under her breath. She willed a pot to rise and crash against the wall, but it didn't budge.

"Great." Raven stood, almost tripping in her skirts. "Ugh! This is annoying," she said, glowering at the floor length black fabric. Well, at least it was in her color. Now to find out where she was.

She circled the room again and again, staring hard through each window, trying to find a familiar landmark, a star, even a person. There were no people down below. Just water to the east, north, and south, and a great sprawling castle to the west.

"This is an illusion," Raven told herself as she stared at the many towered building. "Some sort of trick." _Probably from Mumbo Jumbo, or maybe Control Freak snuck into the warehouse. It would make sense if he sabotaged the game system for his own use. That would make this whole place just a virtual reality._ That made her think of Beast Boy. _What if he's stuck in this virtual place, too?_

Suddenly, the door to the room swung open. Raven whirled around, raising her hands to conjure a magic spell, but nothing happened. She was forced to face the newcomer defenseless.

The wild silver hair and pale, spell-bounding blue eyes of the newcomer startled Raven. The splendor of his face and glassy silver armor almost charmed Raven as much as his first impression had, many months before. But she refused to be taken in by his looks, or anything else. Her hands curled into trembling fists and she snarled,

"Malchior…"

* * *

Beast Boy blinked his green eyes open, groaning at the sudden golden sunlight. "Raven…" he moaned, "stop shining that lamp in my eyes! It's not funny!!" There was no answer to this. Beast Boy opened his eyes wider, and they promptly widened to the size of flying saucers when he realized that he was no longer in the game system seat of the dim warehouse. "Wow!!"

Green. Green and gold. Those two colors flooded Beast Boy's vision, almost overwhelming him, as did the strong aroma of flowers and mint. After a few moments of blinking and rubbing his eyes furiously, Beast Boy finally got a look at the room around him.

It was a dome of creamy marble open to the rising sun and hills of fresh green on the horizon through glassless, floor length windows on the east side. Large planters full of white flowers and wild vines sat everywhere, as did trees full of fruit. A marble stair led to a small pond surrounded by reeds.

Beast Boy himself lay in a pile of pillows and cool white sheets on the ground, which he hardly minded, sitting in the far corner of the room from the heavy wood door. He had hardly stood up and brushed off his clothes when he realized he no longer wore his black and purple suit. Instead, he wore a suit of chain mail under a royal purple tunic. His cream-colored, baggy pants were tucked into thick leather boots locked tightly to his feet with strong metal straps. A broadsword with a shimmering emerald in its hilt rested on his left hip. The whole ensemble was so comfortable, it was like spending a day in your pajamas.

The heavy door in front of him cracked open, and two enormous, royal azure eyes peeked in, framed by the deepest golden hair Beast Boy had ever seen. Those oceanic eyes locked with his widening emerald greens and almost smiled by themselves. The girl rushed into the room and embraced him with such a squeeze that Beast Boy almost turned purple instead of green!

"Bestial! You're all right!" the girl gasped. Before Beast Boy had a time to respond, the girl pressed her lips into his in a gentle, tear stained kiss. She stepped away, and Beast Boy almost cried out,

"Terra!"

* * *

Eyes of blank pearl stared into a vast row of screens, narrowing greedily at two in particular.

"And so begins my game…"


	7. Chapter 7

Oooh, I hope I scared you guys. Malchior and Terra… bad news for our new lovers, but wait, it gets better…

**Chapter 7**

**Old Lovers Turned Loving Strangers**

"Raven? Raven, please awaken! Beast Boy? It is I, Starfire! Awaken please! Beast Boy!"

Robin and Cyborg watched the read-head alien girl bending over her friends, futilely attempting to wake them. Neither responded.

"Starfire, I don't think that's going to work," Robin said quietly, glancing briefly at his metallic friend, who had begun a scan on Raven. "They're out cold."

Starfire flopped to the ground next to Beast Boy's chair, watching Cyborg scan Raven, then scan Beast Boy. "But what has happened?!" she cried despondently, her emerald eyes glistening with frustrated tears. "Why do they not respond to us?"

"I can't figure it out, either," Cyborg agreed a bit more calmly, staring at the view screen in his arm. "They're not injured, and they're awake – in one form or another. They just won't respond." Robin moved closer, scouring the readings on his friend's arm as Cyborg continued, "Heartbeat's normal, brain patterns normal… it's like they just zoned out."

"But they didn't," Robin added, his masked eyes narrowing. "Somehow, these chairs have something to do with this, I think." Immediately, Starfire scooted away from Beast Boy's chair and sidled up to Robin, also glancing over Cyborg's readings.

"But what could be preventing them from responding to us?" she asked.

"I don't know…" Robin answered, shaking his head. "I figured Mrs. Collins would have the sense to deactivate these chairs before calling us to look them over. If the game system is malfunctioning, it could mean bad luck for whoever gets trapped in one."

"There has to be an 'Off' switch somewhere," Cyborg thought out loud.

"I wouldn't fiddle too much with these things until after we learn more about them," Robin cautioned. "I don't want to risk hurting Beast Boy or Raven…"

* * *

Raven started when Malchior smiled at her. It wasn't the sort of smile she had expected. He looked at her with pure affection, a look she'd come to loath.

"Lady Runé! You're awake." Before Raven could dodge him, he took her up in his arms and kissed her softly on the lips. Raven jerked away, about to smack him, but she hesitated at the genuine surprise on Malchior's face. That didn't soften her verbal rebuke, though.

"How dare you!" she hissed furiously, her fists clenching tightly. "What do you think you're doing?!"

"I- Lady Runé, are you alright?" Malchior started, pain clouding his crystalline eyes.

Raven paused. That, again, wasn't the response she had expected. Why did he look so genuinely hurt? After all he'd done to her, how could he expect to kiss her and get anything less than a thirty-story drop out of the Titan's Tower window? Then she realized she wasn't in Titan's Tower anymore, or even the warehouse. In this illusion, whatever it was, maybe Malchior was just an illusion too. But his touch, his kiss, had been real. Maybe a robot? No, his lips were soft, warm…

Raven shook her head, banishing those disgusting thoughts from her mind. Malchior was either playing dumb, or else his memory had been erased and replaced by some sick romance… Raven shuddered to think what she could have done to pull such affections from him. And why did he call her Runé? Time for some answers.

"My name isn't Runé. It's Raven. Don't you remember?!"

"Of course!" Malchior answered, shocked at her bitter tone. "Runé means Raven in the oldest languages. Don't _you_ remember?" At Raven's pause, he repeated, "Lady Runé… are you alright?" He stepped forward and reached to her, laying the back of his hand gently against her forehead. Raven backed away from his touch.

"You were severely injured during the battle," Malchior said quietly. "The healers and I have been caring for you for several days, but you seem to be recovered now. You're not burning up anymore, and the wounds have closed nicely, but… you are acting very strangely, Runé. Can you remember the battle?"

Raven stared coldly at him, again shivering with the thought of this _traitor_ touching her, healing her. It was too nice of him to be true. He had to be lying. And what battle could he possibly be talking about? Her fight with him had been months ago, so that couldn't be it. She decided to play along a bit, just so that she could figure out what their connection was.

"No, I don't remember it."

Malchior's eyes darkened, surprising her once again. "I feared as much. The blow to your head was very severe. I thought you were going to…" He didn't finish, but the pain in his eyes was evident – and real. "We rode to battle against the rebels a fortnight ago. It was a very fierce battle, and some of our best mages were slain, but the rebels suffered greater losses, though they did… Lady Runé…" Malchior paused and looked her in the eye, deep affection shining in his glassy blue eyes. "Runé, I did not wish to tell you now, but you have to know sooner or later, so… Your father, the king, died in the battle at the hands of the rebel leader, Brenin. I tried to help my lord, but it was too late. I arrived in time to kill Brenin, and soon after, his lady Satyrva, and I dearly wish that revenge will give you some comfort." He awaited her answer anxiously, worry making him move closer.

Raven was too thoroughly confused to back away. "My father…"

"Lord Treoron fought like the great king he is," Malchior assured her, then corrected himself quietly, "was. And that makes you the queen of Panivel, as you have so long wished to be."

For a long time, Raven just stared at him, trying to piece everything together. Why would someone want to imprison her in this stupid role-playing game as the princess of a magical kingdom? And how did Malchior get mixed up in all this? Where was Beast Boy? She certainly couldn't ask Malchior. For some reason, he didn't seem like the best person to ask such information of. She would have to find Beast Boy on her own.

* * *

Beast Boy gaped at the blonde girl in front of him. She wore a soft blue tunic and a white robe trimmed with gray over that, and her long golden hair was pulled back in a half ponytail, leaving a little down for bangs and the rest to flow like liquid sunlight down her back, but Beast Boy knew who she was instantly. Her azure eyes stabbed into him, opening a fresh wound where an old pain had once sat. Terra. His friend.

"Terra, what are… how did you… why did…" Beast Boy tripped over his own tongue, trying to talk to a girl who had rejected him not long ago, then rushed into this strange room and kissed him. This room…

Beast Boy's head jerked around. "Where'd the warehouse go? Where's Raven?"

Terra stared at him, her blue eyes concerned. "Bestial, what are you talking about? Why are you calling me 'Terra'?" She smiled and laughed softly, nearly tearing Beast Boy's heart out from the melodic noise. "You seem to have hit your head harder than I thought."

"Hit my head… I didn't hit my– Hey, why are you calling me Bestial? It's me, Beast Boy."

Terra's smile dimmed, and she pressed her hand against his forehead, making his spine erupt in warm tingles and his stomach flip. "Are you all right? You _must _have hit your head harder than we thought. Wait here, I'll get Crenos." And before Beast Boy could stop her, she rushed out the door and shut it behind her.

"Crenos…?" The word had barely left his lips when Terra returned, followed by a mammoth man with dark skin and wooden arms and legs that somehow moved as he willed them. Beast Boy recognized him instantly.

"Cyborg!"

Cyborg was on him in an instant, holding him off the ground by his shirt collar. Terra very nearly hissed at Beast Boy from behind. Cyborg leaned in, his hot breath on Beast Boy's forehead.

"How dare you call me that?" he demanded quietly, his voice shaking with rage. A growl came from deep within his throat.

"I… uh, isn't that your name?" Beast Boy squeaked, unsure what the problem could be. And why in the world was Cyborg dressed like that? They wore the same style tunic, only Cyborg's was cream-colored, and he wore plate armor on his elbows, shoulders, and knees along with his thick chain mail shirt. His gargantuan boots were a bloated mirror of Beast Boy's own. But instead of a sword hanging from Cyborg's belt, an enormous hammer was strapped to his back. Beast Boy almost whimpered with surprise when Cyborg's hand wandered up to grab the hilt.

"Bestial?!" Terra demanded, shocked. "Why in the world would you say something so cruel? That's not like you?"

Beast Boy waved his arms frantically, stammering, "No, no, I didn't mean it, I, uh… Crenos, is it?" Sweat poured down his face at the stunned glare in Cy - oops, _Crenos'_ - eyes.

Terra moved closer, setting a small hand on Crenos' bulging, muscular arm. "This is why I called you here, Crenos," she explained quietly, trying to calm the giant. "He's not acting like himself. It's like he can't remember who he is, or who any of us are."

Crenos' eyes softened immediately, and he set Beast boy back on his feet. "Well, if that's the case, sorry, Bestial." Without warning, he snatched Beast Boy back off his feet and sat him down on the bed, pulling out a strange, crooked, metal device that reminded Beast Boy just why he hated the doctor's office.

* * *

"Lady Runé, are you certain you do not wish me to call the healers? They should really have a look at you."

Raven stomped down the dark hall, Malchior on her heels. Nothing seemed even remotely familiar, though Raven grudgingly admitted to herself that the darkness, split only occasionally by a solitary, mysterious green light set in the wall, was very much to her liking. In fact, the entire palace she had awakened in, or at least what she'd seen of it, was the sort of place she could actually enjoy living in.

Though she had no plans to do so.

Nor did she feel like being examined by strange magicians.

"No," she answered Malchior flatly as he tried to catch up to her brisk step.

"Then at least have me examine you. You could be seriously-"

"No!" Raven interrupted him suddenly, the thought of this man touching her shocking the word from her lips. Ever since they'd left the chamber she'd woken up in, Malchior had been worrying over her as she tried to explore the palace in peace. Why did he care so much? It was annoying, though also strangely…

Raven shook her head, silencing that train of thought. The person standing before her was probably just an illusion, and if not, she still didn't want to even think about being remotely kind to this person. He was evil, in every sense of the word, and she did not trust him for a second. Her pain from his betrayal had been buried long ago, leaving nothing but a hole in which she would never let any emotions settle again.

But Raven found that she was already losing control of her emotions. She no longer had to contain them to protect herself, or the people around her, and already the relief she felt at that freedom was beginning to show itself. Her emotions were more pronounced than ever, especially around the man she had once loved.

* * *

Robin ducked just as a bullet of wild magic shot from Raven's forehead as she lay still in the game chair. It ricocheted through the room, sending the other two Titans to their stomachs before finally dying away. A few more black sparks emanated from Raven's form, then nothing. Robin raised his head, staring in shock at the pale Titan girl.

"What was that, Robin?" Cyborg demanded, sitting up.

"I have no idea. But I think Raven's in trouble. Or she thinks she is…"

* * *

Beast Boy breathed a loud sigh of relief as Crenos put the last odd tool away into his tunic. An hour of careful examination with outlandish devices had left him swearing he would never visit a doctor's office again unless he was dying.

"I can't find anything wrong with, him Telara," Crenos admitted in defeat, looking at Terr- sorry, Telara.

Telara looked frantically from Beast Boy to Crenos, then back. "But there has to be something wrong with him! He's obviously not thinking clearly!"

"Telara?" Beast Boy wondered. "So that's your name here?" As the examination had progressed, his tiny brain had finally settled on the fact that this entire thing was an illusion. Maybe Mumbo Jumbo, Control Freak, or some other nefarious villain had trapped him in here, or maybe…

"Hey, I'm in a video game!!" Beast Boy exclaimed suddenly.

Telara threw a helpless look to Crenos, who just shrugged it off, confused.

"Don't you get it?!" Beast Boy continued, jumping off the bed with a huge smile on his face at his discovery. "I sat down in that game chair, and the game must have activated! I'm in a video game! I'm the first person to play in the W.O.R.L.D.!!"

"Well, he's got one thing right," Crenos sighed. He remembers the W.O.R.L.D."

"Wonderland of Organic Realities, Lands and Dimensions!" Beast Boy chirped, quoting the magazine article he'd drooled over for months now.

Crenos and Telara stared at him, drawing him back to reality.

"What are you talking about?" Telara demanded. "That's not what it mea-"

Crenos laid an enormous hand over her mouth, silencing her. "If the kid's forgotten it, then it's better not to remind him," he said grimly, which naturally only made Beast Boy curious to know what W.O.R.L.D. meant in this game.

"What?" he demanded innocently, "What did I forget?"

Neither answered. Crenos looked away uncomfortably, and Telara stared at her shoes.

"Um… Crenos, could you give us a moment alone?" Telara finally asked, her voice barely over a whisper.

Crenos eyed her, but said nothing, and left. Beast Boy fidgeted under Telara's penetrating stare. Her blue eyes were too sorrowful to stare into for long.

"You…" Telara began, hesitant at first. She took a deep breath and tried again. "You don't remember me… do you?"

Beast Boy stared at her, unsure of what to say. He couldn't tell her no- he did know her in one way or another. But he couldn't say yes either. The way she'd kissed him told even Beast Boy that their history together in this game was far different from the real world. How much he had once loved her he had no idea, nor did he know how deep their relationship could be.

"I… uh, I know who you are," Beast Boy manage, searching for the right words to keep him from lying. "But I don't remember exactly _what _you are- to me, I mean."

Telara sucked in a sharp breath, and her eyes filled with tears. Before Beast Boy could try to explain, she lunged in for a fierce hug, then turned and fled.


	8. Chapter 8

This is when things start to get weird… I like this chapter a lot because we finally get some answers. Still, if you have any questions at all, feel free to ask! :) It'll help me make sure I explain everything later on.

* * *

Chapter 8

The History of the Game

* * *

Raven dodged Malchior every time he tried to approach her. Walking in the halls, he would suddenly sidle up to her and attempt to take her hand or even play with her hair, which only infuriated Raven more than she was already. Thankfully, she still regained some of what she'd learned from a lifetime of controlled emotions, and she managed to prevent herself from beating Malchior to a pulp. Barely.

Despite Malchior's attempts at giving her a tour of the palace, Raven ignored him and continually took a separate hallway from the one he wished to show her, or opened a door he had not intended upon. Anything to learn more about where she was, and more importantly, find Beast Boy and a way out. Fortunately, Malchior seemed to care about her too much to get angry, which made it easier to walk away from him and not worry about him trying to stop her. That helped, if only a little bit.

Servants wandered the halls, but the strangest thing was that they all looked exactly the same. Raven passed maid after maid, every time staring into the pale, brown-eyed face of a random blonde the mastermind behind this illusion had designed. It was more than a little eerie to look into such blank, lifeless, programmed eyes.

Finally, Malchior stopped before two enormous doors.

"And now, your favorite room in the entire palace, M'lady," he said with a graceful bow. He didn't open the door, leaving Raven to satisfy her own growing curiosity. She threw open the doors and stepped inside, blinking at the sudden brightness, though still dim compared to the lights of the real world she was used to. The green crystals set into the walls and on twisted, branching stands illuminated a vast chamber full to overflowing with books. Books, scrolls, open manuscripts… all guarded by statues of a beautiful maiden with obsidian raven wings and dark hair cut to her jaw line. Raven nearly tripped over her ridiculously long skirts when she realized the statues were images of her.

Malchior caught her stare. "Your father gave this library to you as a gift when you turned ten. You loved books. I'm sure you still do."

Raven kept herself from making a smart retort with some difficulty. _My father? Not likely…_ Still, she couldn't resist books, and the vast collection before her could offer a bit more information into her whereabouts, and possibly, an exit.

* * *

Robin, Starfire, and Cyborg found themselves in a tornado of dark magic as Raven's eyes glowed with white energy. They'd done nothing to her or the chair for the first two hours they had attempted to discover what was going on, but Raven continued to unleash random bursts of magic. This one was far stronger, and it lasted for a good ten minutes before finally dying away.

"Oh, if only we could know what is happening to her!" Starfire exclaimed, squeezing Robin's arm desperately. "We must discover a way to assist!"

"I know…" Robin agreed seriously. "I just can't think of anything we can do. We can't move them, or they might be hurt. And we can't communicate with them to figure out if they're in any real danger…" Suddenly, he pointed at Cyborg, surprising him. "What all do you know about this game system? You've read about a dozen articles on it; anything that might tell us what they're up against?"

Cyborg scratched his head. "Well, the system's so new that there's only one game for it right now, and that's the game they're trapped in. It's called the W.O.R.L.D., an acronym for a magic spell that is supposed to be the most powerful magic in the game's universe. The whole point of the game is to make your character strong enough to master this magic and put a stop to some evil empire that's been ruling for centuries."

"Veeerryyy original…" Robin observed dryly.

"Yeah well, there's a lot more to it," Cyborg informed him. "Plus, it's a virtual reality game, so everything looks, smells, feels, and sounds real. Someone could forget it was even a game. And you get to do some awesome stuff, like learn magic, sword fighting, archery, fight in wars-"

"Could people actually get killed playing this thing?" Robin suddenly interjected, pointing to Raven and Beast Boy. "Are they in any real danger?"

"The only danger they're in is if this virus inside the game fries the circuits," Cyborg said hesitantly. "It could give them permanent brain damage, or it might send them into a coma, or… worse."

Starfire gasped as the reality struck her, and her eyes misted. "Oh, I pray they will be safe!" she cried. "I wish we could assist them in their escape."

Robin stood still for a long moment, thinking hard. His mask scrunched up, and Starfire and Cyborg could almost see the frenzied thoughts running through his brain.

"So basically… we're helpless?"

"I'm sorry, Robin, but… yeah."

"Oh, if only there were some way!"

"I guess we'll just have to trust them to be okay…"

"I guess…" Robin frowned, staring hard at his friends. Suddenly, Raven's eyes went white, and everyone ducked as a new spark of magic erupted from her. "We have to do something about Raven. If she keeps on using her emotions unconsciously like this, she could hurt Beast Boy."

"Or us!" Cyborg added sharply, throwing his hands over his head to shield it from the searing black bolts.

"Perhaps we should place her in a separate room," Starfire suggested, shielding her head with her hands as well. "We must keep her from harming Beast Boy."

"Or us!!"

* * *

Raven loved books. She always had, and as the young sorceress found herself surrounded on all sides by towering shelves and endless tomes, Raven's obsession with the written word took off. At first, she kept to her mission: learn about where she was, and find a way out. If she could find a map of the land, or even a map of the castle, she could escape. But then, the flowing scripts in leaf gold and the rough black leather of other volumes took their hold, and she found herself flipping through stories as ancient as words themselves. Fascinating legends and lore of beasts, heroes, maidens and magic, grabbed her imagination and took her away. For hours, Raven sat on the floor, surrounded by stacks of books, looking eagerly through their silky pages.

It made the library all the more magical now that she could read and feel at the same time. If something excited her, she no longer had to stifle that spark of adventure, and when something saddened her, she could let tears fall instead of just willing them away. Malchior left her to herself for hours, smiling to himself at her obvious contentment.

* * *

Crenos allowed Beast Boy to leave his 'room' the next day, and for the first time, Beast Boy got to see just where he was. And after all the cheats and guides he'd read concerning this game he now found himself unintentionally trapped in, he could name the building, the province, and most of the people he found in the halls.

According to the official W.O.R.L.D. game guide, there had once been a golden age in the land of Panivel. But that all changed with the birth of twin brothers, Siland and Brevose. Siland and Brevose were the closest, and they fought side by side (both were unmatched swordsman, and Siland also dabbled in magic) against countless enemies. The princes, for that is what they were, soon approached the time when they both would be crowned kings of Panivel.

But then tragedy struck the brothers. They fell in love, both with the same maiden. Her name was Koralah, and her beauty surpassed that of any other woman in the world. She was also a deadly sorceress, but neither prince knew this. Also unknown to the two men was the fact that Koralah was princess of a small province called Threiza, which once had been part of the kingdom of Panivel, but was exiled for their dangerous use of black magic. Koralah's widowed mother, Lilian, sought to use her sorceress prodigy of a daughter to retake Panivel in the name of her husband. Koralah eagerly accepted.

At first, the brothers Siland and Brevose tried to work their problem out. But Koralah's spells threw them both into terrible lust, which soon led to violence that both later regretted. Eventually, according to plan, Koralah and Siland eloped back to Threiza, throwing Brevose (also according to plan) into a terrible rage. He was crowned king, and immediately declared war on Threiza and his brother, who had been crowned king of that land by marrying Koralah. But Threiza's black magicians were too powerful to challenge, and the once great army of Panivel was reduced to a band of rebel warriors, which still survived now. Threiza, now led by Koralah and Siland's descendant, Treoron, held claim over the land using their magics, though they could never seem to destroy that last remnant of resistance. It, of course, was led by Brevose's descendant, a powerful warrior named Brenin, and his wife Satyrva.

But powers, thanks to the recent developments of the attack on Threiza's dark palace, were changing. Treoron had been killed in the battle, leaving no one to assume his throne. Threiza had been left in anarchy. The rebels would have taken the palace then and there if a mysterious maiden in black, riding a dark dragon, hadn't leaped into the fight. No one knew who she could be, but her skills as a sorceress were unmatched, and the dragon's fangs did great damage as well. The rebels had been forced to retreat, though an archer did manage to pierce the dragon's chest with an arrow, sending the maid on his back tumbling hard to the ground. No one had the time to finish her, however, as the warriors of Threiza immediately regrouped and attacked with greater fury than ever before.

Beast Boy, when he emerged from his room, found himself in the middle of an enormous celebration in the rebel's keep, a manor house deep in the forest near Threiza's southern border. Apparently, he himself had been a hero in the raid, and everywhere he went, seasoned warriors, male and female, clapped him on the back and cheered him, saluting him with their weapons and winking.

And when the green teen turned a corner, he received a reward far better than that, though quite a bit more surprising. Before Beast Boy could blink, a gentle set of lips met his in a quick peck, and a lithe young maiden stood before him. Beast Boy knew her at once by the pure emerald gleam in her eyes, the deep strawberry hue of her long hair, and the unmistakable smile on her face. But before he could make the mistake of saying her real name, Beast Boy raked his memory for the character lists he'd practically memorized and found Starfire's game name.

"Sta-er, I mean, Lady Satyrva," he stammered, testing the name. He gave an awkward bow, and Satyrva giggled.

"I wished to thank you for saving me on the field of battle, Squire Bestial," she explained. "At least before Brenin can smother you with gratitude!" she added with a giggle. "I hear he wishes to knight you for your bravery at the banquet tonight, a fitting reward for so worthy a champion. I am glad you have recovered in time to celebrate."

Beast boy looked the older girl over. She seemed to be in her late teens to early twenties and wore a sleeveless purple robe over a knee length white dress, both layers leaving her bare arms to be decorated with a simple set of carved wooden bangles. A brown leather belt decorated with a single emerald and calf-high boots finished her outfit. The rebel lady left her shocking red hair down, and she carried no weapon. Beast Boy, however, knew from her character profile that Satyrva didn't need steel to defend herself. Her spells could summon powerful green lightning from the sky upon her enemies. Still, that power hadn't helped her enough. Beast Boy caught the long scab running across Satyrva's forearm and wondered just how he'd saved this mage, and what from.

"Thank you," he replied, distracted. "Uh… looking forward to it."

Satyrva nodded, flashing him a brilliant smile, and stepped away. Beast Boy watched her go. Crenos and Telara had obviously not told anyone of his memory loss – unfortunately. Now he would have to play along. But that shouldn't be _too_ difficult. He'd obviously been in a battle and just saved the second in command of their little rebel group. Easy to explain.

Not.

* * *

"That is my favorite story," Malchior spoke up from his seat behind Raven. The pale Titan felt more than a little put out having Malchior so close, but she acknowledged his comment and studied the book she had just picked up closer. A book of poems.

She'd just finished the history of brothers Siland and Brevose, and the whole thing gave her a sinking feeling. It mentioned Siland and Koralah's descendant, Treoron, who was apparently supposed to be her father in this illusion – or whatever it was. So she was supposed to be the queen of the bad guys now… great. Even more reason to leave as soon as possible.

Admittedly, she'd become distracted in her mission. There were so many books, all new, all demanding her attention, and Raven felt herself wanting to give them that attention. But now, with Malchior so close, with his warm breath on the back of her neck and his hands rested on her shoulders, Raven wanted nothing more than to leave. But her curiosity got the best of her.

"Why?" the innocent question slipped from her tongue before she could catch it. Why should she give this creep the satisfaction of having her attention?

Malchior literally pulled her into his lap, wrapped his arms around her, and grasped the book in her hands, covering her fingers with his own. Raven shivered hard, but he didn't seem to notice as he opened the volume and flipped to a specific page. He pointed at the swirling letters and said in her ear,

"You were reading this poem when we first met. I had just come to the castle as an apprentice magician and was looking through the books of spells when I almost tripped over you. You were sitting in the middle of the floor, lost in the verses. But when you looked up, and our eyes met… I suppose it was love at first sight. It's sad you can't remember it. It's my fondest memory of this place."

Raven shivered again as her heart beat took off. Why did Malchior have to rejoice in being so close to her? Couldn't he just leave her alone? A deep blush sprang from her cheeks as Malchior's breath tickled her neck, and she shivered again. Malchior only moved closer.

"Are you cold?" he asked, tightening his arms around her. "There is a bit of a draft in here."

"I-I just… wanted to be alone," Raven managed, tensing in his arms. She felt his hands, which had been resting on hers, loosen, and Malchior scooted away.

"Forgive me," he said, his tight voice betraying his hurt. "I didn't realize-"

"It's okay," Raven found herself saying, though she didn't turn. "I just… I want to figure this out by myself. Nothing against you."

The relief in Malchior's voice was evident when he replied, "Of course, M'lady."

* * *

The banquet hall echoed with the din of excited conversation. Beast Boy wove his way through the crowds of warriors, attempting to find Telara in the throng. She seemed to be avoiding him.

Finally, Beast Boy spotted Telara's golden hair through the crowd. It would have been easy to transform into a bird and fly over the people to her side, but he couldn't morph in this game. At least not yet. Maybe he would pick up some magic skills that would allow him to shape-shift once again. Until then, Beast Boy was reduced to shoving his way through the people to where Telara stood conversing with a strikingly familiar man.

He was about two heads taller than Telara, with wiry limbs and a sword almost as long as him. The man's shoulder length hair was tied back, leaving some sloppy bangs in his blue eyes. Beast Boy wondered who the man could be until Satyrva appeared at his side. She gently brushed his hair out of his face with a sweep of her slender fingers. They shared a quick kiss, and Beast Boy knew the warrior. Brenin. But he looked an awful lot like Robin.

Telara seemed to notice him out of the corner of her eyes, and she turned. He oceanic eyes darkened, and she ducked her head, letting her blonde hair fall over her face to shield her from him. Satyrva also spotted him, and she smiled brightly, calling him over. Telara backed away as he approached, but Beast Boy caught her hand before she could walk away, giving it a consoling squeeze. A few moments later, she returned the squeeze.

"Squire Bestial, it's good to see you out and about," Brenin greeted him cheerfully. "Satyrva's told you about the ceremony tonight, right?"

"Um… about me being knighted? Yeah, you really don't have to, sir," Beast Boy insisted as Telara moved closer to him, encouraged.

Brenin's face went serious, and his eyes darkened. "I do," he countered firmly. You saved my life, and Satyrva's. Thanks to you, Threiza believes I'm dead. You have no idea how much of an advantage we have because of your heroics."

"Unfortunately," Telara spoke up, "Bestial lost his memories when he was injured. He can't remember the battle, it seems, or anything before that."

Satyrva gasped, and Brenin started, but Beast Boy was quite relieved. No more faking! "You lost your memories?" Brenin demanded. "That mysterious sorceress must have hit you harder than we thought…"

"Sorceress?" Beast Boy wondered out loud. "Oh, you mean the lady on the big dragon? I don't remember her, but I've heard several dudes mentioning her."

"Dudes?" Satyrva queried, raising a thin red eyebrow.

"Er, I mean, knights. They were talking about her," Beast Boy stammered.

Brenin nodded. "Right. I'll be discussing her tonight after the feast." He paused, his eyebrows knitting in a deep frown. "There's just something disturbing about her."


End file.
